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banana bread recipe

I love my good old-fashioned banana bread recipe. It’s moist and delicious, full of banana flavor! What it is not is… healthy. It has a lot of sugar and is made with shortening. So, I went on a hunt to find a healthier banana bread recipe that would be similar to the one I grew up eating. I KNEW I could never find anything that was AS good, but I wanted to find something that was passable.

In the past I have tried a few healthier versions but the texture was always wrong; either too dry or too rubbery.

I found a recipe that looked like it might turn out moist enough, without being too rubbery and I tried it a couple of times making some adaptations as I went. The final result was AMAZING! I made it as a loaf and muffins and it works equally as well for both.

Banana Bread, healthified

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

5 over-ripe bananas, mashed

¼ cup non-fat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare loaf pan for bread by spraying the pan with cooking spray. For muffins, spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Sift the measured flour, baking soda and salt into a medium mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until well blended, with an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat until blended. Add mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until just blended. Gently stir in nuts. Pour batter for bread into loaf pan, or spoon batter for muffins into prepared muffin cups. For muffins, fill cups about ¾ full. Do not over fill. On the tops of muffins sprinkle pearlized sugar or finely chopped nuts.

Bake loaf for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. For muffins, bake for 35 minutes, and check center with a wooden toothpick.

Cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

As muffins, I shared with some family members; one of whom said they were the best she had ever eaten! She liked them with and without nuts! The fact they are “healthier” is just a bonus!